"As a result of my son starting to play sport I've
re-established connections that the family had had to Queanbeyan. It's like any
sort of friendship or community you have to sort of revitalise it, so that's
what I've been doing," he said.

"We've been spending a lot of time going over
there and meeting people."

Mr Faunce said he's noticed a real sense of
community, an authentic feeling about Queanbeyan.

"I think Canberra's a very
sort of planned and organised place. It has a lot of attractive features and we
love it, it's a nice place," he said.

"But, Queanbeyan also has a beautiful
environment and it seems to have arisen more organically out of the nature of
the community.

"It just grew spontaneously out of people aggregating
together. Of course people might say there's a certain amount of chaos in there
but there's also a certain amount of plasticity and genuine feel about the
place."

Community will be a central theme in Mr Faunce's speech at the
Australia Day celebrations. Since linking back to Queanbeyan, the ANU professor
said he hopes to use his research in artificial photosynthesis to benefit the
town.

"Since we've sort of reconnected with Queanbeyan, you feel part of the
trajectory of that community," he said.

"So in some ways I feel my interest
in artificial photosynthesis as a renewable energy connects with Queanbeyan, I'm
not sure where that's going to go.

"I'm adding a voice, a collection of
expertise and my area is artificial photosynthesis. I see that as part of
Queanbeyan's journey, it's a community I feel closely associated with."

The
Queanbeyan Australia Day celebrations will be held at Queanbeyan Town Park on
Sunday, January 26 from 5pm.